‘Stranger Things’ Star Caleb McLaughlin Talks That Agonizing Finale Moment and Inadvertently Memorizing Kate Bush

[This story contains spoilers for Stranger Things 4 Volume Two.] 

Caleb McLaughlin was ready.

The Stranger Things star knew season four of the immensely popular Netflix series was going to be draining with the emotional weight his character would bear — but that also meant a deeply rich story for Lucas Sinclair.

The character would find himself in the middle of two high school worlds that were nothing alike: the jocks and his Dungeons & Dragons crew, aka The Hellfire Club. All the while, his lifelong pals again found themselves in a deadly battle with creatures from the Upside Down. And this time amid that conflict, it appeared Lucas was going to lose the person who has come to mean the most to him: Max (Sadie Sink), with whom he shares some of the sweetest and most devastating moments of the season and series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter following Stranger Things 4 Volume Two’s arrival, the actor touched on a number of topics, including what he saw as Lucas’ master plan when he joined the basketball team and what Lucas would have written to Max in a note similar to those she penned for those in the group when she feared the worst was going to happen.

In the below chat, McLaughlin also talks about the bond he formed with his screen-sister Priah Ferguson and his emotions over the next season being the series’ grand finale.

We have to start with that absolutely heartbreaking moment when it looks like all is lost and Max has died. What can you share about that day? 

I didn’t even know we were doing the death scene that day. So, I just had to understand my feelings and my place in the scene. I knew my lines and what I saw prior to what was happening. I don’t really like to rehearse scenes like that because I want my natural reaction. I want to be real and raw in the moment. So, I went off the cuff, just went for it. Of course, as we did more takes, it got better and felt more real. And it helped that [Matt and Ross Duffer] allowed me to improv and catch the energy of the scene.

That is so wild. How many takes do you think you did?

A lot. (Laughs.) They did close-ups on me and then close-ups on Sadie and then wide angles of us together. And each time, I really had to keep the emotion of the scene. And then, two weeks later, we had to do it again because Millie [Bobby Brown] had to be in the scene for The Void. And we were in the cold water — such cold water — and I had to cry again. It was really exhausting, but it was great.

What does Lucas think is in Max’s letter to him, and what would be in Lucas’ letter to Max?

You’d have to ask Sadie about that letter to Lucas, but Lucas would write a long paragraph about how much happiness is there and that you’re the reason why I’m happy. He’d talk about how much he appreciates her and how much she makes him happy.

Was “Running Up That Hill” playing a lot around you, since you did so many scenes with Sadie always listening to the song?

Oh, my gosh. I didn’t know what was going to be playing and Sadie told me “Kate Bush.” And I was like, “Cool. Who’s that?” And she played a little bit of it. And I was like, “It sounds cool. She’s got a great voice.” And now I know that song word-for-word. (Laughs.)

Lucas had a huge, emotional arc this season. He tried so hard to walk between two high school worlds that are vastly different. What was that undertaking like for you? 

Lucas wanted to try something different, walk a new path. And I don’t think he was avoiding his friends. Some people said he just wanted to be with the jocks, and it was like, “No, maybe things could be easier for all of them, maybe people wouldn’t make fun of them, and then he can bring his friends with him to them.” But then he realized, “Maybe it’s not as easy as I think.” It’s not that he didn’t love being around them, he didn’t like being a nerd. I rewatched season one recently and was like, “Wow. The bullies really made fun of them, and not even for being nerds, but for being themselves, for how they physically looked.” I mean, there’s only so much you can take, and I felt that Lucas’ only way to kind of cope with it was to try something different. And I admire that in him.

Did you know ahead of time Lucas was going to have so much weight on his shoulders, or did you learn and prepare script-to-script?

I’m always prepared to do more or less; I’m going to just go for it. I had crazy moments this season where Lucas dealt with a lot more emotion, but in season one, I had more lines than I had in any other season. In season one, it was a smaller cast and mostly just the kids. So, I had a lot more lines at that time, but this season, I feel like the intensity grew. It really wasn’t about the lines, it was about the feeling of the show now and how to deal with it. So, I was prepared.

Lucas and Erica are so great together. Safe to assume you and Priah have forged a nice bond? 

She’s great, super professional, and super funny. We do have a stronger bond now that we work with each other more. We had more time to talk, for me to ask her about what she wanted to do in her career. She’s a creator. She’s an artist. Working with her this season was awesome, and you know, she’s like a little sister. Every time she sees me, she just laughs — like, she just laughs at everything I do.

I know there is nothing you can say about the final season, but can you tell me how you’re feeling emotionally?

You know, it’s going to be really sad. I’ve been working on this show since I was 13. It’s been a big part of my life, seeing these guys every year. There’s nothing I can say about the season, but, it is going to be sad when they’re like, “That’s it. That’s all we’ve got to do.”

Interview edited for length and clarity.